Hands up if during the Summer recess,you thought that Scott Parker would be managing the team with 10 games to go. Agaist Chelsea and 10 points from safety and sitting second from bottom

Well, there you go, all true, except that Scotty is Caretaker at the moment, having said that, however with the names that the club are rumoured to be appraising, we'd be forgiven for hoping he gets the job permanently.

Parker's first game in charge at least showed that he has a starting place for Ryan Sessegnon, Tom Cairney and Kevn MacDonald, that was a fan pleasing start, also leaving out two of our big name signings Seri and Schürrle, Chrisy joined Seri, Fabri, Le Marchand Ayitee, Anguissa and Vietto on the bench.

The deadline day boy, loan signing Håvard Nordtveit was also named in the starting 11, with Old Favourite Tim Ream, Denis Odoi Calum Chambers and Joe Bryan. Our punchy keeper Rico (he'll try catchingthe ball soon with luck) started as did Mitro and Babel

The Whites started brightly and if anyhing had the better of the play in the opening 15 minutes, Chelsea probed without too much penetration and most of the activity was towards the Chelsea goal.

After 18 minutes, a pass from Sess, 18 yards from the goal and right on the Johnny Haynes touchline was fizzed back to Bryan whose hign diagonal pass flew over all and sundry to Babel who unmarked was right on Arrizabalaga who leapt to gather the ball and who pronmptly dropped it. Babel had his back to goal and didn't see it land baehind him allowing a relieved Kepa Arrizabalagato scoop it up, a half chance missed. Cairney, MacDonald and Bryan had all contribiuted to the passage of play leading up to those last two telling passes.

Two minutes later a needless fould by Seesgnon gifted Chelsea a free kick and a soft goal for the visitors ensued. Typical, it never rains and all that!

On 27 minutes, we nearly equalised but a snap shot on the volley by Mitro was comfortably punched over by the Chelsea keeper, naturally, we scored an easy equaliser from the corner, will wonders never cease? Chambers steered it in, evadig a Chelsea defence who lost him completely.

Almost immediately, Bryan fell over claiming a foul allowing Chelsea to break and our inattentive covering to allow Jorgingho to thread another pass through our midfied for a neat passage of interplay whre he collected the ball and steered an accurate shot past our defence and goalkeeper. ArrizabalagaCheslea nearly scored a third, Higuain twice nearly adding to his first strike.

Ah well, some promise shown then but I fear it's come far too late to help the cuse and that gap to those above us just keeps growing!